Type-writing machine.



No. 684,646. Patented Oct. |5, I901. J. C. LOTTERHAND.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

(Application filed Apr. 10, 1899.) (No Model.) 38heets-Sheet l.

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Patented Oct. l5, l90l.

J. C, LOTTERHAND. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

(Application filed Apr. 10, 1899.)

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(No Model.)

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No. 684,646. Patented Oct. 15, IQUI.

J. C. LOTTERHAND.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

(Application filed Apr, 10 1899.) (NO Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

JASON O. LOTTERHAND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION TYPE WRITER COMPANY, OF TION OF NEW JERSEY.

JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA- TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPEGL'FIGATXGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,646, dated, October 15, 1 901.

Original application filed August 7, 1897,

No. 712.477. (No model.)

To all whom it 11mg concern:

Be it known that I, JASON O. LOTTERHAND, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-\Vriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of my prior application filed on the 7th day of August, 1897, Serial No. 647,414.

The present invention relates to ribbon mechanism for type-writing machines, and more especially for that class of type-writing machines known as visible-writing machines, being machines in which the work is visible to the operator as it progresses, as distinguished from those machines in which the work can only be observed by lifting the paper-carriage or otherwise moving it to abnormal position for that purpose.

One object of the invention is to have the line of print always exposed to view of the operator except at the time a key is operated to cause the impact of a type upon the platen. Another object is to vibrate the ribbon to and from the printing-point and to have the rib hon-vibrator at rest at the moment of impact of the type;

Another object of the invention is to vibrate the ribbon to and from the printingpoint without producing slackness in the ribbon in any position of the Vibrator, and other objects, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

The invention consists of certain new and useful arrangements, constructions, and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a plan View of a type-writing machine in which the invention is embodied, certain parts being omitted for the sake of clearncss. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central vertical section, but showing the ribbon-vibrator and its immediate operating mechanism in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the plane indicated in Fig. 1 by the line X X and looking in the direction of the arrows thereat. Fig.4 isalefthand side elevation, partly in section, of the ribbon mechanism and with certain parts of the machine omitted. Fig. 5 is a detailview of the construction of a ribbon-spool, and Fig. 6 is a detail view of the ribbon-vibrating mechanism.

The same numeral of reference will be used to indicate the same part in the different figures of the drawings.

1 indicates a suitable base-frame within which key-levers 2 are pivoted upon a bar 3, at the rear thereof.

4 is a type-bar journaled at 5 in a type-bar hanger 6, secured to an arc-shaped type-bar support 7.

8 is a connecting rod or wire between a keylever and the type-bar 4, and 9 is a spring secured at one end to the type-bar 4 and at its other end to a lug 10, connected with the type-bar hanger.

The type mechanism herein shown forms the subject-matter of another application of even date herewith and serially numbered 712,476, which is also a division of my af0resaid application dated August 7, 1897.

11 is a carriage which travels to and fro upon guide-rails 12 13, secured to posts 14, risingfrom ashifting plate or frame 15, adapted to move forward and backward longitudinally of the machine between guide-rails 16, secured to the top of the base 1.

17 marks a platen journaled in the ends of the carriage 11.

The construction of the carriage and carriage-shifting mechanism herein shown forms the basis of claims in my aforesaid application of August 7, 1897.

A narrow inking-ribbon 18 has one end connected to the core of a spool 19 at the lefthand side of the machine, and its other end is connected to the core of a spool 20 at the right-hand side of the machine. In so far as certain features of my invention are concerned the ribbon-spools l9 and 20 maybe of any suitable construction, but those shown in the drawings involve certain novel and advantageous features, as follows: The spool ends are composed of circular sheet-metal disks, of which the outer disk 21 is secured at its center to a hub member 22, which is mounted to turn upon a pin or stud 23, the

bearing of the hub memberbeing at one end upon the enlarged head at the outer end of the stud or pin 23 and at its opposite end upon areduced inner end of the said pin. The extreme reduced end of the pin or stud 23 passes through a supporting plate or bracket 24 and is provided with a screw-thread, with which a nut 25 engages. Interposed between the bracket 24 and the inner end of the hub 22 is a spacing-washer 26, which separates the spool from the supporting-plate 24 far enough to afford room for a ratchet-wheel 27, which consists of a toothed ring secured to the outer side of the spool end 21. A coiled spring 28 is confined within the bore of the hub member 22 by the head of the pin 23 and bears at one end against the end wall of the bore in the hub member and at its other end bears against the head of the pin 23. The friction between the end of the hub 22 and the washer 26 produced by the pressure of the spring 28 serves to yieldingly hold the spool against turning and preserves the proper tension upon the ribbon as it is drawn from the spool. The other end 29 of the ribbon-spool is provided with a hub or sleeve 30, which fits upon the hub 22 and is provided with a circumferential groove 31, which at one point is extended through the body of the hub or sleeve 30. Secured in the circumferential groove 31 is a spring 32, which projects through the said slot or opening in the sleeve and enters a circumferential groove 33 in the hub 22, and the engagement of this spring with the groove 33 serves to hold the spool end 29 in position upon the hub 22 and also permits its ready removal by disengaging the spring from the groove 33 whenever desired. The ribbon 18 is wound upon a wooden core 34, which fits upon the hub 22 between the spool ends 21 and 29. A pointed projection 35 upon the surface of the hub 22 adjacent the spool end 21 engages the wood of the core 34 when the latter is slipped over the hub and pressed against the spool end 21 and serves to connect the core with the hub and to cause the two to turn together. Then it is desired to remove the ribbon and replace it with another,

the spring 32 is disengaged from the groove 33 and thespool end 29 is slipped off the end of the hub 22, whereupon the ribbon and the core 34, upon which it is wound, may be readily removed and replaced by another ribbon upon another core. The foregoing description of the ribbon-spool 20 will suffice also for a description of the ribbon -spool 19; but the ratchet-wheel upon the spool 19 is marked 27 and the bracket supporting the wheel 19' is marked 24 for convenience of reference hereinafter.

The supporting'brackets 24 and 24 are attached to the frame 1 of the machine, and the said framehas fixed thereto arms or brackets 36 37 in rear of the ribbon-spools, and these arms or brackets are provided with vertical studs 38 39, on which ribbon-guiding pulleys 40 41 are journaled. At the center of its forward edge the shifting frame 15 is provided with a segmental portion for supporting a curved standard 42, which is secured to the shifting-carriage frame 15 in any suitable way, as by screws 43. The bracket 42 is placed centrally of the machine and is provided with two horizontal studs 44 45, which furnish bearings for ribbon-guiding spools or pulleys 46 47. Slightly below the level of the printing-point of the platen 17 the standard 42 is provided with horizontally-extending arms 48 49, the ends of which are bent forwardly and upwardly to form ears orlugs 5O 51. A ribbon vibrator and guide 52 is pivotally connected with the lugs 51, the said vibrator consisting of a lower cross bar or plate 53, two upwardly-extending arms 54, formed integral therewith, (see dotted lines in Fig. 3,) and an upper plate 55, intermediate and integral with the upper ends of the arms 54. The upper ends of the arms 54 and plate 55 are provided with ears 56, between which the ribbon 18 is guided in its travel over the ribbon-vibrator, as shown in Fig. 3, while the opposite ends of the lower crossbar 53 and the vibrator are reversely bent, as shown in said Fig. 3, to form guide-arms 57, between which and the face of the bar 53 the vertically-disposed portions of the ribbon pass and by which they are confined be tween the said guide-arms 57 and the crossbar 53. The plate 55 is provided with an opening 58, through which the type-blocks upon the type-bars 4 pass to carry the ribbon 18 against the substance upon the platen at the moment of impact. It will be seen that a rocking movement of the ribbonvibrator 52 will not tend to cause slackness of the ribbon, inasmuch as the ribbon passes substantially through the axis of motion of the said vibrator where it lies between the arms 57 and the cross-rod 53. At its center portion the said cross-rod 53 is provided with a tongue or arm.59, integral therewith and bent forwardly and downwardly and also given a quarter-turn to bring its plane into a vertical plane for a purpose presently to be described. A double link 60 is pivotally connected at one end to the said arm 59, and at its other end the link 60 passes outside two upright plates 61, secured to or forming part of the bracket 42. The uprights 61 are provided each with a slot 62, pointing upwardly and rearwardly of the machine, and the legs of the link 60 are secured together by a screw or pin 63, which passes through the said slots 62 and forms a bearing for a roller 64, whichis journaled on the pin 63 and lies between the standards 61. A spring 65 is secured at one end to the link 60 near where it is pivoted to the arm 59, and at its other end the said spring is attached to the standards 61 by a cross-pin therebetween, the tension of the spring being exerted to pull the link downward and so move the ribbon-vibrator 52 away from the platen 17. For the purpose of throwing the ribbon-vibrator 52 toward the platen and into a position closely adjacent thereto and there stopping and holding the said vibrator, the following mechanism is provided:

A lever 66 is pivoted at 67 between the standards 61, and the said lever 66 is provided with a cam portion 68, adapted to coact with the roller 64 underneath the same to lift the rods and throw the ribbon-vibrator toward the platen, and the lever 66 is provided with a dwell or circular portion 69, having the axis 67 as its center. The slots 62, pin 63, roller 64: and the axis 67 are so placed relatively to one another that the roller 64: moves away from the axis 67 as the lever 66 is actuated, as hereinafter described, and until the dwell 69 comes underneath the roller 64:. When the dwell 69 comes into action, the lifting action upon the rod 60 ceases and the ribbon-vibrator 52 is held in position adjacent the platen by means of the pull of the spring and the resistance of the end 69 of the lever 66. The lever 66 is pivotally connected with a link 70, the other end of which is pivotally connected with a universal bar or bail 71, lying beneath the key-levers 2 and carried by arms 72, which are pivoted at 73 to the base 1.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that whenevera key-lever20is depressed to throw its type-bar 4 toward the platen the lever 66 is actuated through the bail 71 and rod 70, and that the lever 66 actuates the ribbon-vibrator 52 in the manner and by the means above described, and the parts are so timed that the ribbon-wibrator 52 will have been brought to rest by the dwell 69 before the type upon the type-bar t quite reaches the opening 58, and that the further depression of the key-lever will carry the type upon the bar at against the platen and will also further actuate the lever 66, but owing to the dwell 69 the ribbon-vibrator will not be further moved toward the platen.

The mechanism by which the ribbon is .wound from one to the other spool and by which the direction of longitudinal motion is reversed will next be described.

At the inner sides of the side walls of the base 1 are levers 7t 75, which are pivoted at 76 and 77, respectively, to the said side walls. The said levers 7 1 '75 extend rearwardly and at their free ends are slotted lengthwise to fit between flanges or collars on a universal bar 78 and said slots embrace the universal bar. The universal bar 78 underlies the key-levers 2 and is carried by arms 79, pivoted upon the bar 3 aforesaid. One or more springs 80, connected with the universal bar 78 and with the frame 15, serve to maintain the universal bar 78 normally in an elevated position. The spool 19 is operated from the lever by means of a hook-pawl 81 at the upper end of an arm 82, which is pivoted at 83 to the lever 75 and is drawn toward the ratchet 27 a by a spring 8t, secured at its ends to the arm 82 and the lever 75. A detent 85 is pivotally connected with the standard 24 and is extended at 86 to lie alongside the arm 82 for a purpose presently to appear. The ratchet-wheel 27 and the spool 20 are operated by a hook-pawl 87 (dotted lines, Fig. 2) at the upper end of an arm 88, pivotally connected at 89 with the lever 74 and normally drawn toward the ratchetwheel 27 by a spring 90, connected at its ends to the arm 88 and the lever 74. A detent 91 is pivoted to the standard 24 and is adapted to engage with the ratchet 27 and is also extended beyond its pivot, as at 92, to lie alongside the arm 88. The actuating-pawls 81 and 87 and their corresponding detents 85 and 91 are alternately engaged with and disengaged from their corresponding ratchets 27 and 27 by means of a rotatory shaft 93, which is journaled in the frame 1 and extends transversely of the machine in such position relatively to the said pawl and detent-arms 82 and 88, and 86 and 92 as to hold the pawls and detents disengaged from their corresponding ratchets. In order to permit the pawls and detents to engage in alternation with the ratchetwheels, the said bar 93 is provided with notched portions adjacent the pawl and detent-arms, and the notch in the shaft 93 adjacent the arms 82 and 86 is placed at an angle of ninety degrees to the notch adjacent the arms 88 and 92. The shaft 93 is provided with a handle 94. at the right-hand end, by which it may be turned. As shown in Fig. 2, the pawl 87 and detent 91 are in engagement with the ratchet-wheel 27, and at Fig. 4 the pawl 81 and detent 85 are disconnected from their ratchet-wheel 27, whence it results that the ratchet-wheel 27 and spool 20 are actuated at each depression of a key and that the pawl 81 reciprocates idly by the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 27 By turning the shaft 93 backward ninety degrees from the position shown in Figs. 2 and at the notch shown therein at the top in Fig. 4 is turned opposite the arms 82 and 86, and at the same time the body of the shaft forces the arms 88 and 92 rearward, thus permitting the pawl 81 and detent 85 to be engaged with the ratchet-wheel 27 by the spring 84 and the weight of the arm 86 and simultaneously disengaging thepawl 87 and detent 91 from the ratchet-wheel 27. The direction of longitudinal travel of the ribbon will thus be reversed and the ribbon will be wound around the spool 19 and the spool 20 will be the paying-off spool.

The construction of the lever 66 and the arrangement by which it gives a uniform throw to the ribbon-vibrator 52 also serves to prevent variations in the movements of different key-levers from affecting the throw of the ribbon-carrier. A more simple connection between the lever 66 and the ribbon vibrator or ICS the link 60 directly to the rear end of the lever 66; but the described construction is preferable for the reasons just stated. Under the connection above described after any key-lever has been moved a sufficient distance to cause the curved or cam portion 68 in the rear end of the lever 66 to clear the roller 64, which it has lifted, it is immaterial to the operation of the ribbon-carrier whether such key-lever moves any farther or not, such farther movement having no effect upon the ribbon-carrier. The form of connection shown also permits the ribbon-carrier to come to rest upon the platen-roll before the movement of the key-levers and type-bars ceases; but this might be accomplished even were the rod 60 directly connected to the lever 66. This feature of my invention is not restricted, however, to any particular connection between the key-levers and ribbon-carrier for operating the latter.

Certain features herein shown, including the type-action, are set forth and claimed in my pending application, Serial No. 712,476, filed simultaneously herewith and being also a division of my said prior application, Serial No. 647,414.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a double-case type-writing machine, the combination with a main frame and a rearwardly and forwardly shiftable frame fpr supporting the paper-carriage, of a pair of ribbon spools, a ribbon vibrating lever mounted on said shiftable frame, a series of type-operating levers supported on the main frame and extending beneath said shiftable frame, a universal bar engaged by said levers, and a link attached at its lower end to said universal bar and at its upper end to said ribbon-vibrating lever, substantially as described.

2. In a double-case type-writing machine, the combination with a main frame and a rearwardly and forwardly shiftable frame for supporting the paper-carriage, of a pair of ribbon spools, a swinging ribbon vibrator pivoted upon said shiftable frame, a lever also mounted onsaid shiftable frame and connected to said swinging vibrator, a series of type-operating levers, a universal bar operated thereby, and a link extending from said universal bar to said lever, substantially as described.

3. In a double-case type-writing machine, the combination with a series of type-bars, a main frame, and a transversely shiftable frame, of a pair of ribbon-spools, a ribbonvibrator mounted upon said shiftable frame, a device also supported upon said shiftable frame and constructed to move said vibrator to working position and to retain it there during the completion of the printing strokes of the type-bars, a series of levers connected to the type-bars, a universal bar mounted upon the main frame and engaged by said levers, and a connection between said uni-.

versal bar and said vibrator moving and retaining device, substantially as described.

. 4. In a type-writing machine, thecombination with a main frame and a transverselyshiftable frame, of a pair of ribbon-spools, a ribbon-vibrator mounted upon said shiftable frame, a series of type-operating levers, and connections between said type-operating levers and said ribbon-vibrator, said connections being independent of the carriage-escapement mechanism, and also including a cam mounted upon the said shiftable frame and provided with a dwell constructed to retain the vibrator in the position to which the working part of the cam moves it, whereby the ribbon-vibrator is moved to a position adjacent to the platen and stops and is retained in such position bythe dwell, substantially as described.

5. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a pivoted ribbon-carrier, a plate provided with a guiding-slot, a connecting-rod pivotally connected to said carrier and guided by said slot in its endwise motion, a lever provided with a cam comprising a working face and a dwell for moving said rod endwise along said slot and retaining it in the position to which it is moved, key-levers, connections to said cam-lever, and a spring for returning the carrier,substantially as described.

6. The combination,with two ribbon-spools, of two vertical guide-rollers 40 and 41 in rear thereof, a vertical frame or bracket 42, two horizontal guide-rollers 46 and 47 mounted upon said bracket, a ribbon-carrier pivotally mounted upon the upper end of the bracket, an inking-ribbon connected at its opposite ends to the opposite spools and led thence around the rollers 40 and 41 and thence inwardly around the rollers 46 and 47 and thence upwardly over the ribbon-carrier, and connections between the ribbon-carrier and keylevers for swinging the carrier to and from the printing-point.

7. The combination, with the two ribbonspools of two vertical guide-rollers 40,41 in rear thereof, a vertical frame or bracket 42, two horizontal guide-rollers 46, 47, mounted upon said bracket,a ribbon-carrier pivotally mounted upon the upper end of the bracket 42, the inking-ribbon 18 connected at its opposite ends to the ribbon-s pools and led thence rear- Wardly around the rollers 40 and 41, and thence inwardly around the rollers 46 and 47 and thence upwardly over the ribbon-carrier, a lever connected by a link with the universal bar 71, and a connection between the lever and the pivoted ribbon-carrier for causing the operation of the key-levers to swing the carrier to and from the printingpoint.

8. The combination, with the two ribbonspools, of two vertical guide-rollers 40, 41, in rear thereof, a vertical frame or bracket 42, two horizontal guide-rollers 46 47 mounted upon said bracket, a ribbon-carrier pivotally mounted upon the upper end of the bracket 42, the inking-ribbon connected at its opposite ends to the ribbon-spools and led thence rearwardly around the rollers 40 41, and thence inwardly around the rollers 46 and 47, and thence upwardly over the ribbon-carrier, a lever connected by a rod with a universal bar, a link connected at its upper end to an arm projecting, from the pivoted ribboncarrier and provided at its lower end with a pin moving in a slot in a plate and carrying a roller cooperatin g with the rear end of the said lever in the manner described, and a spring connected at its lower end to a fixed point and at its upper end to the link.

9. The combination of a support, a. pin 23 secured therein, a hub 22 mounted upon said pin, a spring 28 confined Within the bore of said hub by the head of the pin 23, a disk 21 secured to the inner end of the hub 22, and adisk 29 provided with a sleeve or hub 30 fitting upon the opposite end of the hub 22.

10. The combination of the support, a pin 23 secured therein, a hub 22 mounted upon said pin, a Washer 26 interposed between the end of said hub and the support, a spring 28 surrounding the pin 23 and confined within the bore of the hub 22 by the head of the pin 23, a disk 21 secured to one end of the hub 22, a ratchet secured to the side of the disk 21, a disk 29 having a hub or sleeve 30 fitting upon the opposite end of the hub 22, a spring 32 confined in a groove in the sleeve 30 and cooperating with a groove in the hub 22, and the wooden ribbon-core 34 fitting upon the hub 22 between the disks 21 and 29 and held from turning by the projection 35 on the hub 22.

Signed at the United States consulate of Nottingham, England, this 22d day of March, 1899.

JASON C. LOTTERHAND.

Witnesses:

THOMAS HENRY Cook, DOUGLAS E. SToREn. 

